Late surge propels Crowley past Pine Prairie

VILLE PLATTE – When first-year CHS basketball coach Jason Lewis took over the Gents’ program this fall, he wondered if his new team would adapt to his philosophies and coaching style.
With height and speed he was hoping to use a more pressuring defense than the Gents have used in the past by going to a 1-3-1 defense.
His squad is still adapting to the scheme, but on Monday, the Gents looked as if they had the new defense down to a science.
After trailing for most of the game, the Gents picked up the pressure in the fourth quarter and forced eight turnovers in the final frame, most of which turned into points in transition, enabling them to rally past Pine Prairie, 58-52 in the opening round of the Sacred Heart of Ville Platte Tournament.
“When I first got here, I wasn’t quite sure what defense I was going to play with these guys. But I saw how long we were, and I’ve always had problems with an odd front, so I decided 1-3-1 was going to be our thing,” said Lewis, whose team improved to 2-0 with the victory. “We put pressure on people and we’re still learning after just four days of practice.
“But we played well and I think that says a lot about kids; them buying into the system and them allowing me to coach them.”
The Gents trailed by as many as nine points in the third quarter, but it was that pressure defense in the fourth quarter that allowed them to rally and take the lead.
Back-to-back turnovers to start the final frame turned into a pair of layups by Jacq’Co Price.
From there, the two teams traded buckets until Price hit another layup off a steal and assist by Grant Trahan gave the Gents a 45-44 lead.
Trahan added another steal, his fourth of the quarter, and converted a layup to add to the lead and basically put the game away.
“In the fourth quarter, we turned it up (defensively),” said Lewis. “We started understanding where they (Pine Prairie) were, started taking away their outlet passes and we were able to run through those long passes.
“And Grant did a great job out there - he was a defensive back when he played football. I have nothing but defensive guys on the court so it makes it easy for me.”
Price was the leader for the Gents, scoring 10 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter. He also had 11 rebounds and a handful of steals on the night.
“Jacq’Co decided tonight that these guys couldn’t hold him and he got to the rim,” said Lewis. “Once he decided to take over, they couldn’t stop him.”
Tyrin Daniels also played a big role in the victory, getting it done in the post and on the wing. He nailed three 3-pointers and got a pair of buckets in the paint to finish with 15 points.
“Every day, we shoot; we shoot from in tight, then mid range and then we step back and shoot 3s and everybody has to do it,” said Lewis. “We don’t get into a competition, but when we need it, we can do it. And tonight, he (Dainels) was the guy.”
Trahan and Alkwan Wesby each finished with eight points, Tiron Foreman added three and Quanterral Robinson and Xavier Johnson each had two.